


The Warrior's Journey

by Zelinxia



Category: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
Genre: Character Analysis, Essays, Gen, Meta, Psychoanalysis, Written for a Class
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-14
Updated: 2014-12-14
Packaged: 2018-03-01 10:11:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2769206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zelinxia/pseuds/Zelinxia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If you think about it, Kurogane’s story is very similar to the classic hero’s journey, where the hero leaves home and is thrust into the unknown forest, and must either seek the important treasure or slay the monster in order to return home. I wrote this essay a year ago for my senior seminar (no seriously.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Warrior's Journey

**Author's Note:**

> I meant to post this essay on AO3 back in January after it was graded (to avoid potential, awkward accusations of plagiarism if snippets were searched on the Internet. Because clearly Zelinxia is not my real name.) But here it is now!
> 
> What was my senior seminar about, and how on earth was I able to write about my favorite character of all time? I majored in psychology, and the seminar I picked was interpretative psychology. In a nut shell, the class read stuff about psychodynamic (psychoanalysis, something you are more likely to know, is a part of this branch): Freud, Jung (I love Jung's stuff by the way), dream analysis are some examples. Also Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey. _Then_ , with these stuff, we interpreted media: music, TV, film, art, literature, you name it with these theories and applications. 
> 
> Yeah, that's right, it was like two of my favorite things combined - psychology and media analysis. So that's how I got to write about Kurogane, because we got to choose which piece of art we want to interpret write about for our final paper. 
> 
> I'm gonna leave the citations intact, except for one source because it was from my professor...and her name is pretty prolific and searchable and I want to keep where I went to school a secret. Well enough of boring you, hope you enjoy this and learn a new thing or two!

In the Japanese comic series _Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle_ , Kurogane is a brutal and violent warrior. His first scene shows him surrounded by corpses on the rooftop after slaying a score of assassins. The princess he serves does not approve of his bloodshed and reprimands him for not avoiding unnecessary deaths. He dismisses her orders, saying that his only concern is becoming stronger than he already is, regardless of the lives of others. As punishment, Princess Tomoyo casts a spell to banish him to another world against his will, saying that in the olden days, the bad ones must journey to improve their characters. She tells Kurogane he will meet many people – the other main protagonists – and must learn the true meaning of strength in his journey. The premise of Kurogane’s story is very similar to the classic hero’s journey, where the hero leaves home and is thrust into the unknown forest, and must either seek the important treasure or slay the monster in order to return home (Campbell, 1949). Throughout the series, he faces obstacles, makes hard decisions, confronts the memories of the childhood he lost, and ultimately undergoes tremendous growth.

His exile is sudden and forced, which angers him. Upon his arrival at a new world where a powerful witch grants wishes, he asks to return home. However, in order to travel through different worlds with his new companions, who come from different places, he must give up his prized sword as payment. Because there is no way to know what worlds his group will go to next, he does not know when he will return home. Banished, unarmed without his sword, and unable to control destinations; the warrior is furious. It is not a surprise Kurogane has a high temper along with violent tendencies. When provoked by other characters, especially two of his companions, he is monstrously enraged. His expressions are typically drawn in exaggerated fashion, marked by his furious eyes and sharp teeth. There are times he also threatens to hurt his offenders, running after them or brandishing other weapons. Although he never does harm his companions and his threatening scenes are drawn out comically, his violent outbursts show that he currently has a weak ego, which is overwhelmed by his id impulses.

The id is the basic, primitive part of the psyche. Known as the instinctual, impulsive drive such as violence or sexual aggression, the id’s main goal is instant gratification, and does not take pragmatic, moral conventions into account (Mitchell and Black, 1995). On the other hand, the superego functions as the moral guide, influenced by one’s culture, society, and parental figures, and does not approve of impulsive actions. The ego overall negotiates between the thoughts and desires of the id and superego (Mitchell and Black, 1995). If an ego is unable to negotiate between the two agencies, the ego is weak*. Individuals with weakened egos are therefore dominated by either the id or the superego; in the case of id, they constantly seek pleasure and may do so at the harms of others without conscience, and in the case of superego, they may not be able to do anything because they have too much constrained thoughts*. The consequences of having a weak ego are detrimental to individuals and others in their lives.

Kurogane has a weak ego, dominated by his id and its violent impulses. As a warrior and bodyguard to Princess Tomoyo, his duty is to protect her from enemies. However, he tends to step over boundaries and kills more than is necessary, as shown in his introduction. Because Tomoyo states that he once again disobeyed her orders, it tells that Kurogane has spilled more blood many times in the past, and that it has been an ongoing problem for the princess and the castle. When he refuses to concede to the princess’ request to avoid unnecessary killings and asserts he does not care about the lives of those who obstruct him from getting stronger, it is clear that his id dominates his psyche because he derives strength and pleasure at deadly costs of others. If his ego was able to channel and mediate the superego’s morality along with the id’s impulse, then Kurogane would not be as violent and regard other people’s lives with greater sensitivity. However, since he is unable to do so with his weakened ego, Tomoyo intervenes to help him change for the better, acting as his superego.

As his master and authority figure, it is fitting that she functions as the superego that Kurogane’s ego is not in touch with. Along with sending Kurogane away to improve his character, Tomoyo also casts a powerful spell on him. His strength will decrease for every person he kills unnecessarily. As a result, her curse reinforces him to think twice before fighting and harming others. It effectively controls the id that causes deadly, violent impulses. Although the witch does not seek to change his behaviors like the princess, her withholding his sword also serves as a catalyst. Without a convenient weapon at his side at all times, Kurogane cannot possibly maim and kill as many people as he usually does, thus effectively curtailing his violent tendencies. All in all, being cursed and losing his sword at the beginning of his journey imposes the superego on his ego in order to balance his psyche. Yet his propensity for anger and violence is not all as it seems on a shallow level. As he continues travelling with his companions and develop bonds, the mechanisms for who he is and why he acts certain ways are further revealed.

In a world where they fight demons, Fai, a companion, runs out of weapons and does not fight back, and gets injured as a result. This angers Kurogane because Fai refuses to fight for his life like he does. As a warrior, he kills people who threaten his life or the lives of the people he has sworn to protect to ensure they live, and thus not lose people who are important to him. Although he spills more blood than necessary in the eyes of Princess Tomoyo, Kurogane’s reasons for fighting and killing as a pledged warrior are still sensible. While it may not be explicit in his harsh words and actions, he is afraid of people he cares about dying, and not being able to do anything to prevent their deaths. For example, when he warns Fai to get out of harms way, his facial expression is drawn to emphasize his concern for Fai’s safety, which is a significant difference from him expressing irritation at his companion earlier in the fight. This shows that for a brief moment, Kurogane is scared that his companion might not make it alive. Fortunately he does, but it does not stop Kurogane from admonishing him as a result. Berating Fai for being reckless shows that Kurogane cares about him and his well-being. The confrontation is not as violent as it typically is for the warrior, but overall it is still a tell-tale sign that anger is his way of reacting to stressful situations, especially when the lives of those he cares about are at stake. This can be explained with the anxiety-repression-defense model.

In the event a trauma occurs, where the emotional pain is too much to handle, the ego represses the pain into the unconscious to protect the psyche. When emotions from the trauma are pushed back into consciousness, causing anxiety, one may use defense mechanisms to cope with and alleviate the repressed pains. The defenses used depend on the ego strength of the individual and the severity of the triggered emotions and pains have on them *. One type of defense is regression, where an individual psychologically returns to a point in their past to cope with repressed emotions that are resurfacing. Regression occurs when a stressor is extreme, mirroring a severe repressed trauma. Overwhelmed, the ego is unable to use a more developed defense*. For Kurogane, his common defense is regression, where he has anger outbursts in reaction to highly stressful events. He is afraid of losing loved ones, thus a severe stressor for him is seeing someone important dying. These happen at least two times in the journey for him.

In the same world where they fight demons, the minor antagonist Seishirou presumably kills Fai and Syaoran, another traveling companion. When Kurogane confronts Seishirou and is told (and lied to unknowingly) that Fai and Syaoran are dead, a dreadful shadow completely covers his eyes, signifying how devastating their murder is. He is unable to repress anxiety in the unconscious. He regresses, vowing to fight Seishirou to the death, even if it means he will lose some strength from his curse. He does stops fighting when he finds out they are alive. Later in their journey, Fai is critically wounded, and in spite of the other companions’ pleading the witch to save him from dying, he urges that he should not live. Furious, Kurogane hits a wall and says “who told you had to make that decision now,” visibly shaken and upset that he and the others will lose Fai if none of them acts in time (CLAMP, 2006, p. 176). It is clear how much the threats of losing those he cares about have an impact on him, to the point where he grows so angry, violent and speechless. To truly understand the underlying source of his fears and anger, his childhood must be explored further in depth.

Children who are abandoned by their caretakers are forced to survive on their own. They are at great risk of living without support from other adults, exacerbating difficulties in forming healthy, bi-directional relationships with others (Mitchell & Black, 1995). Separation anxiety can go several ways. The threat of being separated from loved ones, especially the mother object, is devastating. The child may cling in desperation, and when abandoned, they have a hard time emotionally investing in other people and their outer environments (Eagle, 1987). Separation anxiety can also cause one who is arrested in that attachment stage to be angry, as a way to protest abandonment (Mitchell & Black, 1995). 

Kurogane fits all of these, both as a child and as an adult. His mother is murdered and he feels guilty for not being able to protect her; his father killed by a demon. As a tragic result, he snaps in a terrifying blind, violent rage that still persists in adulthood when he faces a loved one dying. Even though Tomoyo intervenes immediately, he is unable to keep his powers in check when he serves as a castle guard. He refuses to form meaningful, emotional attachments because he is afraid of becoming close to people, only to have them be ripped away from him again like his parents were. The only person he does forms an attachment with is Tomoyo.

Along with master and childhood friend, she is his foster mother. She is the only one he will serve and protect in debt for saving his life, so when she banishes him, he is hurt. Under her orders he is supposed to meet people and form connections along his journey. However, he does not want to, and like a child who gets upset when their parent leaves them at preschool, he demands to return home immediately. When he has no choice but to travel indefinitely with other people until he reaches his world, he frankly tells them he will not get invested in their personal businesses, thus saying he does not wish to get close whatsoever. The destruction of the object – losing his parents so suddenly and unexpectedly in his case – significantly holds him back (Mitchell & Black, 1995). It is hard for him to let go of old ties and invest and believe in new ones. Yet over time, he bonds with his companions and cares for all of them, to the point he watches over them and makes sure nobody does something rash. 

For a moment, he is handling himself well; until the group encounters Tomoyo Daidouji, an alternative self of Princess Tomoyo. When she reveals she has met the princess in her dreams, Kurogane is painfully reminded of home and the foster mother figure he left behind. At this point in the journey, he faces a personal conflict. He has become attached to Fai, Syaoran, and the others, and has demonstrated devotion to them. At the same time, he vows to remain loyal to Princess Tomoyo for life. He is unsure how he can be loyal to his companions without compromising his devotion to the princess, raising separation anxiety. Daidouji assures him that Tomoyo strongly believes he will learn the true meaning of strength one day. She will always be there for him no matter the path he chooses, thus assuring him there will be no separation or abandonment. Sure enough, when Kurogane steps in to save Fai’s life and vows to stay by his side, he learns that he can keep more than one promises. He realizes that he can remain devoted to more than one person at the same time, and does not have to choose one over the other. By successfully overcoming this critical obstacle, Kurogane advances on his own hero’s journey, where one last great challenge awaits him.

The threat of Fai dying has pressed Kurogane more than once in their journey. Saving his life against Fai’s will has caused a great distance between them, and yet Kurogane keeps holding on, believing they will survive the things destiny has in store for them. When they travel to Fai’s home world and confront great dangers, the ultimate challenge is revealed at last. Kurogane kills Fai’s king to protect them all from death, and as they set to leave, Fai’s curse activates a rapidly shrinking sphere that will erase an entire world and everything – and everyone – within it. With the aid of magic, all of them escape the trap, except for Fai who is unable to leave the center of the sphere. Kurogane struggles to pull the wizard out to so he can leave safely with everyone else, but it is futile. When all hope seems lost, the warrior hears a voice that tells him how to save Fai. In one swift moment, he cuts off his arm imbued with Fai’s magic so it can act as a body double; pulls him out, and the whole group leaves the world. When he wakes up in the next world, wounded and wrapped in bandages, it is Princess Tomoyo who greets him.

She reveals that it was her who told him through dreams how to save Fai from the collapsing world. Kurogane losing strength as a result of killing Fai’s king ends up being a prophecy Tomoyo had foreseen, and the curse she had placed is a protection ward that spared his life in the previous world. Without an arm, his physical strength has significantly decreased. In the beginning of his journey, he would have been furious and devastated if he had lost an arm like that. Yet in the present moment, he does not regret losing some of his physical strength, because in the end he was able to protect Fai, who is precious to him. Looking back at the things that have happened, his flashbacks illustrated in the background, he learns that sometimes, physical strength – what he has desired all those years – is not enough to protect. It is the strength of his heart and determination to protect loved ones that truly matters. In the past, he relied on physical strength, honing it to kill off every person who threatened to take Tomoyo’s life. Yet his drive for power had alienated him from others, and the more he distanced himself from people, the further he remained trapped in the pains of his past, unable to heal and move on in peace. Cutting off his arm symbolizes letting go of the things that have held him back. Thus it liberates him to be content and confident with the new bonds he has formed with Fai and everyone else. He has finally learned the true meaning of strength, and just as when the archetypal hero acquires enlightening knowledge and wisdom, he is able to return home (Campbell, 1949).

In the past, Kurogane struggled with a lot of demons – both literal and figuratively. Losing his parents instilled intense separation anxiety and fear of losing loved ones. Anger quickly became his way to cope with the losses and anxiety, and as a result, he grew detached from other people, only caring about getting physically stronger. Tomoyo’s intervention did save him from spiraling into severe aggressive borderline tendencies, but it still was not enough. In order to help him grow and heal, Kurogane was sent on a journey, where he met others who must travel between worlds to grant their wishes. Along the way he formed bonds with them and realized he wanted to protect them as well. There were many obstacles and difficult decisions he had to go through, but he was strong enough to overcome them. He consistently showed his devotion to all of his companions, especially Fai, and through the sacrifices he made, he was able to learn the true meaning of strength. With new people in his life whom he loves and wishes to protect with all his heart, he is welcomed back home.

**Author's Note:**

> ~*~*~Citation reference~*~*~
> 
> * Asterisks replaced where I cited stuff from my professor.
> 
> Campbell, J. (1949). _The hero with a thousand faces._ New York, NY: Pantheon Books.
> 
> CLAMP. (2008). _Tsubasa reservoir chronicle volume 16._ New York, NY: Del Rey Books.
> 
> Eagle, M.N. (1987). Object relations and self as an outgrowth of instinctual vicissitudes: The work of Mahler. In _Recent Developments in Psychoanalysis_. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
> 
> Mitchell, S.A., & Black, M.J. (1995). _Freud and beyond: a history of modern psychoanalytic thought_. New York, NY: Basic Books.
> 
> (haha, yes, I cited CLAMP!!)


End file.
